SuperLiga 2010 Opponents Announced

Major League Soccer and the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF) today unveiled the tournament schedule and all participating teams for the 2010 edition of SuperLiga. Chivas USA will face Mexican clubs Puebla F.C. and Pachuca, as well as Houston Dynamo in the first round of this tournament which features top U.S. and Mexican soccer clubs and awards the winner with one of the biggest purses in the region. The tournament will begin on Wednesday, July 14, just three days following the conclusion of this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

Chivas USA will open the tournament against Puebla on Thursday, July 15, at 7:30 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center in Carson. The Red-and-White will then travel to Houston to play the Dynamo three days later on Sunday, July 18, at 5 p.m. PT at Robertson Stadium. Chivas USA will return to close group play action against Pachuca on Wednesday, July 21, at 7:30 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center.

For the 2010 edition of SuperLiga, competitive criteria determined which four teams would represent their respective leagues. Based on their 2009 regular season record, the top four MLS teams (who are not competing in the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League) qualified for SuperLiga 2010: Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution.

The four invited Mexican clubs participating in this edition of SuperLiga, based on combined points in the Apertura and Clausura 2009 (who are not competing in the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League) are Monarcas Morelia, Pachuca, Puebla F.C. and Pumas UNAM.More detailed information on all eight teams follows below.

In its history, SuperLiga has crowned two Mexican champions (Pachuca, 2007 and Tigres, 2009) and one U.S. champion (New England Revolution, 2008). All three championship games have been determined by penalty kicks. During the inaugural edition of SuperLiga, CF Pachuca defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. on Aug. 30, 2007. In 2008, the all-MLS final saw the Revolution defeat the Houston Dynamo at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. In 2009, Tigres UANL of Mexico defeated the Chicago Fire in front of a sell-out crowd at Toyota Park.

For Chivas USA home games ticket information in SuperLiga 2010, fans are encouraged to visit cdchivasusa.com or call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 for more information.

Pachuca (2007 SuperLiga Champions, participated in 2008, 2010), also known as “Tuzos”, hails from Hidalgo and comes to SuperLiga after a successful year that saw them reach the semifinals in the Bicentenario 2010. The squad, directed by head coach Guillermo Daniel Rivarola, features Argentinean forward Damián Manso, who led his team with seven goals during the Clausura 2010, and American-born Jose Francisco Torres. After participating in the last two editions of SuperLiga, Pachuca brings experience and competition to this year’s tournament.

Puebla F.C. (first appearance in SuperLiga)is a team that scored 28 goals during their regular season – many of which came from the foot of American forward Herculez Gomez in the Bicententario 2010. Puebla has the potential of being one of the best offensive team in this year’s SuperLiga. “La Franja,” as they are known, are under the management of José Luis “El Chelis” Sánchez Solá, and the club will look for a solid performance in SuperLiga 2010, as this will mark the team’s first appearance in an international tournament.

The entire tournament will once again be broadcast live by the Univision television family of networks, and on national radio on ESPN Deportes Radio, in the United States. The SuperLiga field of teams is divided into two groups, each with two representatives from the respective leagues:

Chivas USA hits the road to take on D.C. United this Saturday, May 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT) in a match that will be broadcast live on Prime Ticket, KWHY, and W Radio 690 AM. The last time the two teams met was at RFK Stadium last October, and Chivas USA came away with a 2-0 win with a goal coming from Jesús Padilla. For more information on the match, click here.